


Shatterpoint

by Vengeful_Dogs_Of_War



Series: Diamond Dogs: The Golden Age [2]
Category: Metal Gear
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-23
Updated: 2017-05-23
Packaged: 2018-11-04 00:12:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10978311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vengeful_Dogs_Of_War/pseuds/Vengeful_Dogs_Of_War
Summary: He lay lifeless in her arms, as Outer Heaven imploded around them.Quiet sets out to ensure Venom's men are safe only to return to find Venom dead at the hands of FOXHOUND. Tormented with loss, Quiet makes a decision that will be felt around the globe.





	Shatterpoint

**Author's Note:**

> Wanted to give my spin on what exactly happened with the BB in FOXHOUND and Diamond Dogs/Outer Heaven, as that is never clearly explained. Wanted to explore how Venom felt about his duty and what he truly wanted.

Quiet leaned against a bulkhead at Forward Operating Base Typhoon, watching as Venom resumed pacing around his temporary command desk, which was as usual littered with reports from all across the globe. Ocelot had once again proved his invaluable foresight, as the several hand-trained intel team commanders were working wonders at juggling the massive amount of troop movement, shell PMCs, and construction projects Venom had commissioned in order to fulfill his plan. One was standing in front of Venom, shuffling through a massive stack of papers that he was about to leave on-top of the huge pile already on Venom's desk.  
"How long till Outer Heaven is complete?"  
"Reports indicate 6 months sir, Big Boss hired additional construction crews from the black market in Morocco. The nuclear materials are being shipped, and his scientists have been in touch with ours to examine the recovered sahelanthropus blueprints."  
"And Phantom?"  
"The final touches are being put in place now, we should be ready with plenty of time to spare. All new recruits are being funneled into Outer Heaven divisions, as per your instructions."  
"Good. Notify me the second something changes, dismissed." Venom said, waving him out.  
Quiet walked over to him, stepping over several paper stacks to reach Venom. He was currently looking at a map of the world, inspecting the various pins added. She placed her hand on his shoulder, and the muscle tensed slightly under her touch. She sighed, before stepping up beside him, and inspecting the map. He had always seen something that she hadn't, the determination and purpose he exuded were as cold and hard as steel.  
"The call will come any day now."  
"Hm?"  
"Ishmael, calling me back to duty, back to the front."  
"Hm."  
"I'll be contributing to Big Boss's goal. That was what I was always expected to do, just like everyone in MSF."  
"Hm?" Quiet hummed, indifferent  
"He'll expect me to use Diamond Dogs to solidify Outer Heaven's forces and defenses."  
"Mhm."  
"I won't do it. The Boss, Ocelot, Kaz, MSF, Zero, Paz, Volgin, LES, were all his. His wars, his lovers, his friends, his comrades, his enemies. Diamond Dogs is mine, something I built from a single oil rig to what it is. It is my legacy, my only chance to leave a mark on history before I'm consumed and lost to its pages as his shadow. I will ensure these men will be remembered for what good they did, not for what Big Boss wants to martyr them for."  
Quiet hummed approval, and rested her head on his shoulder.  
"So I need to ask you a favor."  
"Hm?"  
"I need my own phantom. Not like I was, a brainwashed clone to be used and discarded, just someone I trust to help me from the shadows. When I go to Outer Heaven, I'll have to take Diamond Dogs, my legacy, my men, my family, and drag them into the shadow of Big Boss once more. I won't. I can't." Venom clenched his fist and looked down.  
Quiet remained silent, knowing that he would continue.  
"All the shell PMC's I've built, all the troops, supplies, and bases built outside the official Diamond Dogs, they are my legacy, my men, my children. Hidden away, safe from Big Boss's war, his crusade. When I transfer, Diamond Dogs will splinter into these offshoots, while I lead the rotting corpse to Big Boss's heaven." Venom almost spat the word out  
"I'll need you more than ever. These men, they are my family, our family. I won't just leave them alone. Rally them, lead them, shape them back into the army they are now. I'll be too busy at Outer Heaven, drawing the attention of the world away from you. I finally understand how Kaz felt, to give years, and everything you have to create your dream, to erect another brotherhood, only to have it all torn away in the name of Big Boss. Quiet, you've stood with me since the beginning, been the best I could have asked for. Now I have to send you into hell, all for the sake of my dream, my goals." Venom started chuckling, and Quiet looked at him in mild surprise.  
"I've come full circle, ready to become the man the I hate for doing the same thing to me. Forgive me, for everything. For this and everything else, I'll always love you." Venom leaned in to kiss her, and Quiet leaned in to accept his kiss.  
Time stopped, and they remained intertwined for a long time, content to be in each other's arms. Venom pushed her onto the desk, knocking over the papers. Quiet hummed and kissed him deeply. This time was different, their passion held a final, somber, undertone. Each clung to the other with the desperation of dying lovers. They enjoyed the brief respite, of not thinking about tomorrow or the pain it would bring, but simply lived in the moment, with each other. The difference between this and their usual nights spoke volumes to the turmoil in each one's mind. Quiet hummed softly as he rested his head on hers, both sitting in front of the desk. Eventually Quiet drifted off to sleep, content to spend another night with Venom.

 

***  
Quiet collapsed into bed next to Venom, after returning from a supply raid in Africa, before returning as she did every night to Venom's office, finding him bent over papers and in a somber mood. Venom and Quiet never even hesitated anymore, simply embracing each other for another night together, painfully aware that it might be their last. Quiet always drifted to sleep, praying that Venom would be there when she woke.  
When she awoke, Venom was gone. A small note was tapped to the door, and Quiet slowly walked over. He always said it would happen soon, but it was a cruel jest of the fates to have it happen so soon. Quiet grabbed the note and inspected it, the paper rough to her gloveless touch. It was a drawing of a butterfly, encased in diamond. Venom had never been one for goodbyes. Quiet punched the bulkhead hard enough to dent it, before pausing long enough to compose herself. She stepped outside and headed topside, where several squads of Diamond Dogs, all newcomers, were rushing onto choppers in full combat gear. Quiet stopped one staff sergeant, and raised an eyebrow.  
"Boss's orders, all soldiers to Outer Heaven. Rapture protocol is in effect."  
Quiet sighed and let him continue. A single support chopper was waiting for her at the 1st deck of the command platform, crewed by Pequod and Silent Basilisk. Both said nothing as she boarded, but just performed the pre-flight checks and lifted off. Pequod gave control over to Basilisk, and sat next to Quiet as Basilisk flew north.  
"Venom gave instructions to take you to Purgatory."  
"Hm?"  
"The new Motherbase, its where Venom transferred his most trusted men. It was his pet project ever since Ocelot left."  
Pequod tapped Quiet on the shoulder, and handed her an idroid. It was scratched and the paint had faded slightly. Quiet flipped it over, and saw a Diamond Dog logo. She recognized it, it was his. Quiet turned it on, and was presented with several massive new additions compared to her standard executive idroid. Instead of one menu for Diamond Dog management, there was two, one for Diamond Dogs, and another marked "Phantom". The Diamond Dog menu had been archived, a final memorial to Venom's legacy, while the Phantom menu contained various resource counts, staff rosters, shell PMC lists, base locations, intel agent placements, and more. Venom certainly hadn't sat idle while Big Boss finished Outer Heaven. Much to her surprise, there was also an audio cache, filled with recordings. Quiet selected the first, titled "Scattered Sorrow".  
"Quiet. By this point you know almost everything, what I've done, why I've done it." Venom's voice was partly distorted, "I hope you can forgive me. But that's not what I'm asking for, hate me to the grave if you wish, but follow one last order from your commander. I won't repeat the mistakes Big Boss made with MSF. I won't just leave my children alone to scatter their sorrow to the heartless whims of fate. I ask that you act where I can't, and protect my family, your family. I've done all I can, the seeds are in place. In these logs and recordings, I've documented what I've done and why I've done it. I trust you will complete my legacy, though perhaps, it will be yours instead." The transmission ended, and Quiet turned off the device, before slipping it into a pouch in her belt. She had much to think about, and the audio files would still be there when she returned. Pequod returned to the pilot seat as she brooded.  
Purgatory was located on a massive island on the coast of New Zealand. Pequod set the helicopter down at the outpost located on the side of the island's sole rising peak, a dormant volcano. Silent Basilisk got out first, and 5 Diamond Dogs walked out to meet them, each wearing sneaking suits and a black un-marked beret. Quiet approached, and recognized each as soldiers recruited before Skullface died. They all saluted as Quiet approached, and she didn't bother to return the gesture. She was too busy wondering why the fuck Venom would leave a partial mute in charge of a mass military operation, and how the fuck she was going to overcome it.  
One of the men approached, a man by the name of Pouncing Harrier.  
"Commander, welcome to Purgatory. Would you like a tour of the facility?"  
"Mhm."  
Purgatory was one hell of a pet project, and Quiet even whistled when she saw the map of the place. Venom had done much with little time, using the majority of Diamond Dog's profits to facilitate the construction and creation of his splinter cells. The facility itself was built into and around the center mountain, going down into the actual ground as well. 1,500 Diamond Dog vets were present, over half having been "dismissed" over the course of Venom's career in order to make space for even more recruits. Barracks, armories, common rooms, gyms, training courses, shooting ranges, medical bays, hangars, communication posts, security checkpoints, RnD bays, storage caches, greenhouses, water purification, power generators, Venom had made sure this place was well stocked. But there was still work to be done. A list, of over 40 shell Private Military Companies located across the globe, all staffed by Diamond Dogs, was present. Quiet had to bring each back into the fold once Diamond Dogs became Outer Heaven. One thing that was immediately apparent, was that no Diamond Dog logo was present across the entire base, in fact no insignia was present at all. Quiet would have to chose what Venom's, no...her men would be called. All she knew right now, is that she would rebuild the army Venom had scattered, for her comrades, for herself, and for her lover. 

***

Quiet never loved her hex bodysuit more than when she was visiting the States. Right now the cold of the eastern seaboard was barely felt as she surveyed the FOXHOUND training outpost. Several armed guards patrolled the outside, and two sat inside at the gate checkpoint. Past that rows of barracks and obstacle courses were laid out in even rows. Quiet sighed and checked her watch, 17:34. The meet was scheduled for 6 minutes from now, so she had better move.  
The guards never even blinked as she sprinted past them cloaked at full speed, passing straight through the wall to the right of the gatehouse. The meet was set to be in the same place, a small alley where cameras weren't present to allow the senior officers a smoke break in private to gossip. A few recruits were running the obstacle course as an officer screamed at them to go faster, and Quiet ran past without one noticing. The alley-way was deserted save one soldier, who wore standard FOXHOUND training attire. Quiet decloaked and walked over and clasped Sniper Wolf on the arm, and hummed their traditional greeting. Her former apprentice was currently Venom's and Quiet's best way of communicating, even though Sniper Wolf had to relay her messages to Big Boss to transmit, so their true conversations had to be kept cryptic. Big Boss still thought Quiet was Venom's proxy saboteur, running interference for Outer Heaven by sabotaging many national spy agencies attempts to reveal the identity of the legendary mercenary that leads Outer Heaven. That was mostly true, although Quiet used her Phantoms to mainly create chaos and to strengthen her force, the added shroud it gave Venom was a bonus.  
"Quiet, good to see such a good friend again. What news do you bring for Saladin?"  
Quiet handed over a disk containing reports of various PMCs her Phantoms had destroyed and absorbed into Purgatory and its outposts. Almost all of the Diamond Dog splinter cells had been recruited into the fold. Big Boss would see it as Venom paving the way for Outer Heaven's rise to power, while Venom would know that Quiet had brought the remnants back together, and his family was whole once more.  
"Thanks. Hopefully when you're done playing cover-up for Outer Heaven you can join FOXHOUND, Saladin could use your help again. Oh and by the way," Sniper Wolf said, "Word is the US might deploy FOXHOUND against Outer Heaven, watch your back."  
Quiet smiled and clasped Sniper Wolf's hand. She had never figured out about Venom, hopefully one day Quiet could tell her, but until then she had to be kept in the dark. They all had made sacrifices, but soon Big Boss would step out of the shadows, and Venom would be forced back into them once more. Quiet knew Big Boss would likely try to eliminate Venom after Outer Heaven seized power, but she would never let that come to pass. Venom had The Phantoms watching over his shoulder, and Quiet would use them to burn FOXHOUND, Zero, The Patriots, and anyone else to the ground if they crossed him. The submarine was waiting several kilometers off shore, and a Phantom waiting for her with the rental jet-ski brought her there without alerting the coast guard. Soon Quiet was heading back to Purgatory, with alot to consider. If FOXHOUND was getting involved in Outer Heaven, things just got complicated. Either Big Boss was forced to cover his trail and Venom knew he his men were being hunted, or Big Boss wanted to eliminate Venom and seize Outer Heaven himself using FOXHOUND. If Quiet was going to move against FOXHOUND, she would have to be extremely cautious. Each operative was an expert across the board, and if they traced the attacks back to her, things would get messy quickly.  
Her usual command staff were waiting for her arrival at the docks. Flaming Buffalo saluted her as Quiet exited the craft. Her face was painted with a skull pattern, a common trend among the men.  
"Welcome back Commander. The new company wing was just completed, and we've got several potential mercenary units with highly skilled soldiers fit for absorption, moral black holes, no qualms about anything, just the type we like. Outpost Graveyard reports the planned additions are complete and their ACRT (Advanced Combat Retrieval Teams) are bringing in a steady stream of recruits. In addition..."  
Quiet cut Buffalo off with a wave, before motioning them to dismiss and return to their posts. Several new phone calls awaited her at her personal Commander's suite. Quiet had dragged The Phantoms deep into the underworld, completing jobs for warlords, drug cartels, terrorist organizations, rebel groups, anyone that was willing to pay for trained, silent killers that would execute any contract, regardless of the deed. Most were requests to move drugs across borders or assassinate government officials. Quiet smiled without happiness, there were always jobs to keep her soldiers busy. Sometimes she wondered if Venom would approve of the type of army his Diamond Dogs had turned into, but in the end she supposed it didn't matter. Every soldier here was wiling to do anything for their Boss, and that is exactly what they were doing. Quiet flicked through the contracts available, and assigned a kill squad to each, sometimes questioning whether or not what she was doing was worth it. Quiet knew that soon enough Venom wouldn't have to run Outer Heaven in the shadows anymore. She looked forward to the day he would be able to meet her face to face, where she could explore every inch of his body once more. And for that, she would kill anyone without hesitation.

***

Quiet surveyed the carnage in the almost pitch black naval base, bodies were littered across every surface and the walls were splattered with blood. Her phantoms moved like shadows through the pitch black hallways, their sneaking suits black coloring or the cloaking devices built in made them appear like ghosts as they moved throughout the base, using night vision googles to quickly and quietly hunt down and execute the remaining military personnel present. It had only taken thirty to sweep the entire base, which was now a graveyard.  
She found her target in the next building, locked in a steel prison cell. A captured FOXHOUND rookie, tasked with hacking into the database to learn the progress of a top secret Canadian military project codenamed "X". Several of her Phantoms were positioned at the door, and one signed as she approached.  
"Cameras. Functional. As. Ordered. Seal patches. Seen. Ready to breach?"  
Quiet nodded, and her men blew the door open, and she entered. Quiet had to forego her usual bodysuit, and instead wore a custom built sneaking suit, with a US Navy Seal patch stitched on. The recruit looked up in surprise, but was still calm even chained to the floor as he was. Quiet stood to the side as a soldier named Thunder Llama entered, and spoke.  
"Are you with FOXHOUND?"  
No answer was given.  
"We disabled the cameras, we have to go, are you the FOXHOUND recruit?"  
A faint nod.  
"Right, package located. Get the body-bag." Thunder Llama drew her pistol and shot the recruit, before Quiet helped her drag the body out and into the waiting helicopter troop transport. Her phantoms filed in quickly and quietly, having executed everyone and downloaded all the data they could. Quiet gave them all the thumbs up as Pequod took them up. Although his hairs were greying, the bastard was as much a smooth flyboy as ever, keeping them low to avoid Canadian or US radar detection.  
Hopefully this stunt would put FOXHOUND in the center of an international incident, as well as the CIA, drawing attention away from Outer Heaven. Anything Quiet could do to help Venom, she was doing. No doubt they would try to track the attackers back at Langley, but her men lived up to their names, and were like phantoms, with no trail to track. Sniper Wolf on Quiet's last visit had mentioned that Grey Fox was captured attempting to infiltrate Outer Heaven. Soon enough Big Boss would have to show his hand to the world, and Venom would fade away. Quiet allowed herself to enjoy a glass of wine with the strike team back at Purgatory, knowing that their long war was soon reaching a payoff. When she reached her quarters, a call came through on the phone. The one dedicated to Venom, if he was calling something big was happening. Quiet reached over and grabbed the phone.  
"Quiet."  
"Hm?" Quiet was elated to hear his voice again  
"Something's come up. Big Boss had to send another operative."  
Quiet punched the wall, and apparently Venom heard  
"He is sending in their greenest, a guy named Solid Snake. He shouldn't make it past the guards, but if he does...well, I've fought worse."  
"Mhm."  
"I know, I don't have you or DD, but I do have some extremely capable soldiers."  
"Mhm..."  
"Don't give me that. Anyway, I want you here to witness Big Boss's moment of triumph, then we can go back together. Can you get here by tomorrow afternoon? I'll have everything wrapped up by then."  
"Mhm."  
"Thanks Quiet, for everything. I heard about Canada, Big Boss almost got called to an official senate hearing, but Zero made the whole damn thing go away. Watch your back, I think Zero knows there's something else going on here."  
Quiet nodded and hung up, and she could barely sleep that night. Early tomorrow morning she met Pequod and Silent Basilisk at the helipad. Flaming Buffalo saw her off, and would run the Phantoms until she returned in a few days time.  
The trip was mostly spent in silence, as nobody could think of something to add that was important enough to say aloud. Quiet grew increasingly worried as Outer Heaven came into view, it was obvious something was wrong, soldiers ran to and fro, getting onto life rafts or onto helicopters and flying off. Only several squads ran into the structure itself, and gunfire and explosions echoed from inside as Pequod flew over the helipad. Quiet waved him off a landing, and just jumped, holding her AM-MRS in her arms. Dread filled her, and she started sprinting towards the platform interior. Several soldiers saw her and opened fire, but Quiet never stopped running, just sniping them as she ran, indiscriminately killing any who stood in her way. With each gunshot her dread and anger grew as she navigated the maze by sound, having to turn around several times after running into dead ends.  
Suddenly the gunfire stopped as she grew closer, and Quiet ran even faster, rounding a corner to almost run into an Outer Heaven soldier in body armor with a rocket launcher, but instead she just vaulted over him and continued. Quiet found Venom sitting in a pool of his own blood, his legs missing. He was currently talking into his idroid.  
"He got me good, was a *cough* crackshot with that rocket launcher. Outer Heaven is doomed, and the survivors will be scattered far and wide, just like MSF so many years ago." Venom said before pausing for Big Boss's response  
"I see. I'm glad to hear that this is only a setback. At first I wasn't sure about all this, but Outer Heaven, Diamond Dogs, MSF, they all made *cough* me realize...you were right, The Boss was wrong, soldiers are always needed, used, discarded. Thank you...Ishmael. It was an honor to serve you, Jack."  
Another pause.  
"One request, Boss. *cough* Remember us, the men of MSF, Diamond Dogs, and Outer Heaven that all died to make a paradise for soldiers. Ahab...Venom, out." The idroid fell out of his hand, and Venom sighed before coughing up more blood.  
Quiet knelt beside him, and felt his pulse, it was weak.  
"Quiet, I'm glad *cough* I could see you one last time...before I die."  
"Ngh! Ngh ngh ngh!"  
"Don't lie. I've *cough* lost too much blood. This isn't like the desert back in Afghanistan, no *cough* Code Talker to bring me back like you were. Are my men *cough* safe?"  
"Mhm." Quiet tried to lift him, but he doubled over in a coughing fit and pushed aside her arm  
"I can't move, let alone survive. My love, *cough*, can I call you that? My love, thank you for *cough* helping me become more than *cough* just a shadow. It was *cough* you that always loved me for *cough* myself. That means more to me..." Venom coughed up more blood, and Quiet felt his pulse grow even weaker.  
"Now *cough* give me a soldiers death. *cough* I always knew that one of us would *cough* kill the other. Please, my *cough* love, finish our duel. Send me...to them." Venom gasped, losing his ability to speak  
"Ngh!"  
"My...comrades, from MSF, back when I was *cough* just Medic. My Diamond Dogs, my *cough* shiny lights, are waiting for me...can't you *cough* see them?" Venom tried to gesture to the room around him, but failed.  
Quiet, openly weeping, drew her pistol, and placed it against his forehead. Venom closed his eyes, his blood-stained face appearing almost peaceful. She pulled the trigger, and then buried her face in his uniform, trying to forget what she just did.  
"Commander! We have to leave, now! The whole place is about to come down on your head." Pequod said  
Quiet grabbed Venom's body, and ran for the exit, as the ceiling and pipes caved in all around her, she ran. Pequod was waiting for her at the helipad when she arrived, and Silent Basilisk stood with a rifle, several corpses at his feet. His eyes filled with sorrow when he saw Venom, but he said nothing. Pequod was silent, and the flight home was permeated with the stench of death. Quiet kept looking at the corpse in front of her, lying on the helicopter floor. The eyes, which used to be able to scan a room for threats in a second, or always looked at her with satisfaction after each mission, were lifeless. The robotic arm, which she had seen crush bones in combat, yet was always as soft as a newborn's touch when he carassed her in bed, lay sparking and damaged. His legs, which had carried her out of her cell during the storm, which had carried him as he inspected his Diamond Dogs, were lost. The mouth which had met hers in battle countless times, a mouth that she had coaxed a rare smile out of during helicopter rides, was now caked in his blood and lifeless. This was wrong, this wasn't Venom. This couldn't be. Death on the battlefield was something every soldier faced, yet Quiet had gone through hell and back with him, only to have him be killed by some government spy when she couldn't help him, couldn't save him, couldn't die beside him. It was wrong, she couldn't accept this. They killed him, the Patriots, FOXHOUND, the US, Big Boss, Zero, Kaz, Ocelot. Each played their part in dragging him into Outer Heaven and executing him there, taking him from her.  
News had somehow spread when they arrived, either one of Quiet's agents had reported in, or the US was publicly celebrating their murder of a hero. Quiet's men, Venom's Phantoms were lined up from the helipad, in combat dress, saluting. Quiet carried Venom down the line they created, to the waiting pyre. Quiet set him down, his body still blood-soaked and broken, yet it seemed at ease, as if it knew it was among family. Flaming Buffalo walked up to Quiet, torch in hand. Wordlessly Quiet grabbed her hand, and lowered it onto the pyre, as they watched the flames sprung up around the man each knew as a father, a hero, a mentor, a savior, a friend. No words were spoken, none could describe what each wished to express. They were burning a part of themselves, and they truly were phantoms now, trapped between life and death. Quiet saluted, the first salute she had done that wasn't to mock Kaz. Her men followed suit, and there they sat, standing vigil as the flames grew higher.  
The flames of the cremation grew higher, and seared away all doubts in Quiet's mind. She would have vengeance, she would make sure those that killed Venom died screaming. Kaz claimed that it didn't help the pain, that it did nothing but leave you even more broken, that revenge changed nothing. He was wrong, she was sure of it, he just didn't go far enough. He was content to kill Skullface, a pawn, a symptom of his downfall, not its cause. Quiet wouldn't repeat that mistake, she would burn entire nations to the ground in order to rip out every root of The Patriots. She would execute every last one of Big Boss's children, before executing the man himself and everyone he ever knew. She wouldn't do it alone, no, she couldn't. Quiet would find the soldiers like her, wronged and seeking revenge, lost and angry at the world. She would give them their revenge, and they would give her her revenge.  
Quiet turned to face her men, Venom's phantoms, his legacy. Each held the same silent conviction, they would raze the world to the ground, and Quiet couldn't wait to watch it burn

**Author's Note:**

> Plan to continue this, just frankly not sure how. I see a few options: say fuck it and break canon completely, or 2: try and fit this into series lore, or 3: AU style story, losely follow canon, etc. Let me known if what you thought of this, total shit or actually got emotional? Love to hear it regardless.


End file.
